Domestic abuse call leads to marijuana arrests

by Wes Mayer

Three people were arrested for manufacturing marijuana after Newnan Police officers responded to a domestic dispute on Sunday.

Around 4:52, Officer Chad Wallace and Sgt. Marcos Gonzalez with the Newnan Police Department responded to the apartments on 257 East Broad St. in reference to a dispute. According to Wallace’s report, when officers arrived, they heard a female yelling from outside and knocked on the apartment’s door.

Inside, officers met with Natalie Sophonie Dukes, 25, and Jacorey Lamar Dukes, 25, who were arguing with each other, officers said in the report. While officers spoke to the two, Jacorey asked if he could retrieve some slippers from the bedroom, so Wallace escorted him to the back bedroom. There, Wallace found two children playing and a suspicious cardboard box in the corner with a lamp mounted on one of its edges.

Officers later inquired about this box, and Wallace went back to check with Natalie, Wallace reported. Once in the bedroom, Natalie quickly moved to shut the box, but Wallace was able to glimpse inside, and he identified two marijuana plants. Both Natalie and Jacorey Dukes were taken into custody and charged with manufacturing marijuana. Sgt. Mark Cooper and Investigator Jeremy Wood with the Newnan Police Department Drug Unit were then called to the scene.

The investigators obtained a warrant and searched the home, during which they forced their way into another bedroom, Cooper said. This bedroom belonged to the apartment’s owner, Martine St-Vil, 24, and inside, investigators found three marijuana plants drying on a table next to digital scales and small plastic baggies. Investigators also found crushed and whole Hydrocodone pills and some plastic baggies containing suspected marijuana.

St-Vil was located and arrested Monday and charged with manufacturing marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of schedule III narcotics — Hydrocodone, Cooper said. All three were transported to the Coweta County Jail.